An Italian Night
by Indian Summer 2378
Summary: After a week in Paris, Kathryn Janeway comes home and notices that someone has been in her apartment without her knowledge. Pure fluff.


**This story was written for VAMB's Winter Picture Prose 2017.  
**

 **Thank you, KJaneway115, for your beta-work!**

 **No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Kathryn stopped in front of her Starfleet officer quarters and, sighing deeply, let her travel bag drop with a thump.

She had just come back from a week in Paris but it hadn't been a joyful, relaxing vacation; it had been a week of hard work at the President's office. A long row of meetings with a group of ambassadors had needed her full attention hour after hour and she felt drained and mentally exhausted. Especially because several delays made it last longer than originally intended and she couldn't leave Paris before 1300 hours on Saturday which was what caused her to be walking home at four in the morning through the dark and cold and wet streets of San Francisco.

Now as she stood in front of her door, her home suddenly wasn't as appealing as it had been during the last few days. She had longed to get here, but now she remembered that these sterile officer quarters weren't really a home. They were just some rooms where she stored her belongings.

Her shoulders hung and she thought of what she really longed for; some time to get her life in order. After Voyager's triumphant, but very sudden return she hadn't had much time for herself. Months of debriefings merged seamlessly into a promotion and the responsibility and lots of work of a Starfleet admiral. She hadn't fought it at the time but maybe she should demand a longer leave of absence now, she thought. More than anyone she deserved a couple of weeks off.

Picking up her bag, she keyed in her code and entered the darkness reluctantly. A faint smell of fresh brewed coffee came into her nose and she frowned as she closed the door.

"Computer, lights to seventy-five percent," she ordered and immediately her eyes caught a steaming cup in the middle of the floor. That alone was enough to surprise her but there was also an envelope with her name hand-written on the white paper leaning against the cup.

A small, curious smile emerged on her lips and she put her bag down on the floor. Stepping forward, she picked up both cup and envelope and her smile grew as she inhaled the familiar scent of hot coffee and took a large sip.

While the coffee slowly warmed her from the inside, she placed the cup back on the ground to open the envelope and found a note, also hand-written, inside.

 _Welcome home, Kathryn!_

 _There's a surprise for you in the bathroom. Go and take a look._

 _Your (not-so-)secret Admirer_

She smiled all over her face as she read the lines and quickly walked into her bathroom. A bubble bath and cozy candlelight greeted her, as well as another cup of coffee.

She had no doubt that this was Chakotay's doing and her smile faded as she felt a pang of guilt and remorse. This was another issue in her life that wasn't going the way she wanted it to because of her lack of time and attention.

Never had she envisioned they would have only three dates in four months when they had acknowledged the attraction between them and decided to give 'us' a try. It had been an almost formal agreement and it wasn't until she was alone that she had become aware of what consequences their decision could have. She began to feel anxious and apprehensive but to her, and she also believed his, relief their first date was an ice-breaker. She felt happy and relaxed and they had a lot of fun. She noticed that the decision to take their relationship a step further hadn't been formal, it had been natural.

A bad decision, however, and she could kick herself that she had suggested it in the first place, was to take it slow. She would never have done it if she had known that Starfleet was about to send her on one mission before Christmas and one right after New Year's and that they would spend most of the time apart. She hated the déjà-vu feeling that arose from leaving him behind, even if he didn't seem to mind and never complained but she knew he deserved better than that.

She used to think that their romance was like a tiny flower which needed a lot of care and she was the one who couldn't afford the time and prevented it from growing and blossom, though that had never been her intention. She was happy whenever they were together and she yearned to be with him.

She had to show him how much she cared, how much he meant to her, she thought and began to smile again as she stared at the bubble loaded bathtub. He always knew what made her feel better and she would pay more attention to the things he liked, she promised herself silently.

But first, she undressed quickly and sank into the warm water. The sweet smell and the warm water relaxed her and she felt a lot better when she got out of the tub forty minutes later. Without bothering to dry her wrinkled skin, she wrapped her body in a towel, put on her robe and exited the bathroom. Another note, this time on her bed, made her stop short. It was folded once and stood upright on a large but narrow box. Her curiosity piqued anew, she crossed the room and picked up the note though there was nothing more than' _Take a look in the box!_ 'written on it. Liking this game very much, she took off the lid and her eyes widened at the delicate, black fabric which was carefully tucked into the box.

"Chakotay, you're crazy," she murmured and slowly lifted the elegant evening dress out of the box. It was definitively made for a special occasion so her plan to spend a lazy day at home was out of the question and she wouldn't have needed his next message on the bottom of the box. "Get dressed," she read aloud and raised an eyebrow. "You bet I will."

Anticipation began to tingle through her body and she wondered how long it had been since she had butterflies in her belly. She liked that Chakotay was able to trigger those long lost feelings, though.

Returning to the bathroom, she consciously closed the door in case her not-so-secret Admirer wanted to drop another message without her noticing but she couldn't stop herself from listening carefully. She didn't hear anything, though, while she dressed, pinned her hair up and put on some make-up. When she was satisfied with her appearance she left the room with a certain expectation and wasn't disappointed. Again a note stood on her bed, now on a small, black velvet case.

Excited, she picked up both items. ' _I'm sure you look breathtaking already but there's still something missing. It's in the black case._ '. Smiling widely, she lay the note aside and gasped as she opened the case. A necklace with matching earrings twinkled in the light and she touched them carefully. Chakotay had great taste, or a help with great taste, she chuckled and stepped in front of the mirror to put the jewelry on.

When she was finished she took a look at herself and was quite happy with what she saw. Still smiling widely, she turned and stood for a moment a little lost in her bedroom. She didn't know what to do since she had no further instructions and so she left the room and immediately saw a pair of black high-heels waiting for her at the front door. ' _You can't go without shoes._ ' was written on the white card, leaning against them.

"I sure can't," she said as if answering him and put the shoes on. Right then it knocked on the door and even if she knew that was about to happen, she jerked surprised and was suddenly nervous.

"It's only Chakotay," she scolded herself quietly and held a hand on her fluttering stomach. No matter how long they had known each other, this was still new and she allowed herself to calm down a little before she opened the door. It was indeed Chakotay, and to her relief he also seemed nervous.

"Hi," she breathed, her cheeks flushed.

"Hi," he smiled. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," she said, running her hands down her sides.

"I wasn't sure you would go with it."

"If it's including a bubble bath and coffee I'm all game."

His face broke into a grin and he chuckled and the uncomfortable tension was as quickly gone as it had appeared. Stepping forward, he kissed her sweetly on the lips. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too. Is this mine?" she asked, pointing at the warm, black coat that hung over his arm.

"It is," he said, handing it to her.

"I'm curious where you're taking me this dressed up at seven in the morning," she said, slipping into the coat.

"Who says it's seven in the morning where I take you?" he winked.

She was dumbstruck and he laughed. "So where are you taking me?" she asked when she found her voice again.

"I'm not going to tell you. It's a surprise."

She tilted her head and glared at him but decided to let go. His mere presence was balm to her soul and she would be happy wherever he would take her.

"You're ready?" he asked.

She gave him a nod. "I am."

Together they left the building. The sun had risen above the horizon but was hidden behind thick fog and it was still cold. At least it had stopped drizzling, Kathryn thought and was glad that Chakotay had been so thoughtful and brought her the coat. Her wardrobe wasn't equipped for special occasions outside of Starfleet and she added a day of shopping to the list of things she needed to do.

They walked to the nearest transporter station arm in arm and in comfortable silence. When they arrived, Chakotay let go of her and gave the young woman who was working at the station that morning the coordinates of their destination while Kathryn tried, unsuccessfully, to understand where they were going. He wore a mischievous grin when he turned to her, knowing exactly how curious she was, but didn't bother to tell her anything and together they stepped onto the transporter pad.

Their vision blurred for a second when the transporter energized and a different transporter station, where a middle-aged man stood behind the console, came into view.

"Buongiorno," Chakotay greeted him, stepping down and Kathryn's eyebrows jumped under her hairline.

"Ah, buongiorno, signora e signore," the man said with a simple nod.

"Buon…," Kathryn repeated, stunned, and looked from Chakotay to the technician and back.

Chakotay smirked when he saw her face and she took the helping hand he offered her. At the door he gestured her to go outside first and to her pleasure the sky was clear and it was remarkably warmer than it had been in San Francisco.

"Benvenuto a Milano," he said, standing at her side.

Her eyes began to sparkle brightly. "Milan?" she asked excited.

He nodded and was happy to see her happy. She began looking around and, as if it was drawn naturally to it, raised her face towards the low sun. Closing her eyes, a small, satisfied smile graced her lips and he could see how her chest widened as she breathed deeply, inhaling the warm, dry air.

She opened her eyes and caught him staring at her, a look of wonder and enchantment on his face.

"It's a wonderful surprise," she said gently. "Thank you."

He started to grin, the spell broken. "Coming here wasn't the surprise."

"Oh?"

He leaned close to her. "You'll have to wait a little longer," he whispered in her ear, sending a jolt of electricity through her body.

"What shall come after a bubble bath, coffee and traveling to Milan?" she teased, hiding her reaction to his closeness.

"You'll see," he winked, linking his fingers with hers and started to walk.

She couldn't stop smiling while she wondered what that surprise of his would be. "Have you ever been to Milan, Chakotay?" she asked to distract herself.

"No. You?"

She shook her head. "Never. I always wanted to but didn't have the time."

"Now you have," he said sincerely.

She gave him a sidelong glance. "You're right. Now I have. And I'm going to enjoy it."

He smiled without further comment and squeezed her hand. With new spring in her step she walked beside him, letting him take the lead, not that she knew where they were going to anyway, and relished the feeling of having him close and for her own. While they walked, they talked about the unique architectural mixture of historical and modern, and every now and then she saw people looking at them and she could swear they recognized them as Voyager's command team but she was beyond caring. She was with Chakotay now and the whole quadrant could know.

Time flew by and she didn't know how long they had walked when he directed her to a street next to a park and stopped.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, turning to her.

"I haven't eaten anything since breakfast but I had two cups of coffee in San Francisco."

"What does that mean?" he asked lightly. "Are you hungry or not?"

She laughed and rubbed her stomach. "Actually, I'm famished."

"Well, then it's good I made a reservation."

"You thought of everything."

"I hope so," he said, guiding her to a little restaurant that was only a few footsteps away. "And before you ask," he started, holding her the door open. "This is not the surprise."

She pouted playfully as she passed him but as soon as she entered the restaurant she smiled. It was a beautiful place, cozy without being too romantic, with art at the walls and large plants separating the tables from each other. It reminded her of the Italian restaurants she visited on the holodeck, except for the Bolian man who headed with a quick pace in their direction.

"I'm a little afraid now," Kathryn whispered to Chakotay, causing him to chuckle.

"Ah, welcome Mr. Chakotay and Miss Janeway," he said exuberantly, gesturing widely. Kathryn eyes widened and she didn't dare to look at Chakotay while she pressed her lips together to not laugh out loud. "I'm honored that you'll dine in my little ristorante." He shook Chakotay's hand effusively. "You'll get my best table, no less!" Before they had the chance to respond he shoved them to a table at the window. "Let me take your coats. Federico will be with you shortly." He got them out of their coats as quickly as she spoke and left them alone.

Kathryn looked after him and didn't feel safe enough to turn to Chakotay before he was out of sight. When she finally faced Chakotay she saw that he was dressed in a black suit, something she never had seen him wearing before, and she had to admit that she liked what she saw. What she didn't like was the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "You chose this place on purpose, didn't you?" she said, sitting down.

"Maybe," he answered, sitting down at the opposite side.

"It is really his place?"

"It is." She grimaced slightly. "Don't worry. The chef is a great cook."

"You know him?"

"Maybe."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're very secretive today, Commander."

He grinned from one ear to the other. "Perhaps that's the plan."

The waiter, Federico, came, bringing the menus and a bottle of wine and Kathryn quirked an eyebrow. Chakotay did seem to have the whole evening well prepared beforehand and she anticipated his surprise even more.

"Thanks," Chakotay said to Federico as he poured them each a glass of wine.

"Il mio piacere. Take your time," Federico said, walking to another table.

"We should've brought our universal translators," Chakotay chuckled as he looked into the menu.

"I'm glad I left my communicator at home. And I thought you speak Italian…."

"Why do you think that?"

"You spoke it earlier."

"That was only a few words," he laughed.

"I never really learned it. I think that's what you get when technology takes over for you."

"Didn't your da Vinci hologram speak Italian?"

"Just a few words," she shrugged. "Animali!" she said loudly, emphatically and the couple that was seated at the table next to them looked confused. "I wouldn't have understand him if I hadn't programmed him to speak English."

He heard the regret in her voice and looked at her with gentle eyes. "It's never too late to learn something new."

"That's true," she sighed. "But I wouldn't know when I could take the time."

He averted his eyes. He knew this was a tough topic for her and he didn't know what to say. She became aware of his struggle and laid her hand on his. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spoil the mood."

"You didn't…"

"I did. Let's just put this specific topic aside and enjoy the evening. We'll figure something out later."

He nodded and she squeezed his hand before releasing it.

"Do you know what you want?" he asked as he brought his attention back to the menu.

"In fact, I do," she said huskily with such an intense gaze that it knocked the air out of his lungs.

"To eat," he told her, sounding out of breath.

"I thought so," she said playfully, a crooked grin on her face. "Let's see… I definitively want vegetarian pasta but there's so much choice."

"You don't have to eat a vegetarian dish."

"I want to."

"Hm, I think I take one of the pasta dishes with mushrooms."

"You're quiet a gourmet," she said sarcastically.

"Hey, I had to eat yours and Neelix's cooking for seven years. I have to catch up."

"Okay," she laid her menu aside. "I'll take whatever you take."

As if he could read their minds, Federico came back and wrote Chakotay's order with a pen on a notepad, something Kathryn liked to see very much.

"Thanks," she said politely when he was done. "Wait!" she stopped him as he turned. "Grazie," she repeated in Italian and he gave her an appreciating nod.

She looked at Chakotay with a delighted smile and he raised his glass. "To a lovely evening."

"To a lovely evening," she repeated and tipped her glass against his before both took a sip of their wine.

"You know…" He placed his glass back on the table and took her hands in his. "I'm glad we're here tonight."

"Me too."

"When you told me yesterday that you're going to be late I had to improvise but I think it turned out well."

"It most certainly did. It's perfect."

They smiled at each other and leaning over the table, he kissed her gently.

"What's this?" she asked, pointing out of the window at a building in the middle of the square that could only be seen from the side.

"That's the _Arco della Pace_ ; the Arch of Peace."

Her eyes widened and she sat so quickly straight, she would've toppled over if he hadn't held both her hands tight. Looking astonished out of the window, she was obviously searching for something specific and he chuckled as he imagined her pressing her nose against the window glass.

"What are you looking for?"

"Parco Sempione," she murmured. "That means that somewhere there…" She pointed to their right. "…must be the Castello Sforzesco."

"Yes. You know it?"

She looked at him with bright eyes. "I do. Leonardo da Vinci worked there for a long time."

"I didn't know that."

"I'd love to see it."

"You can. We're passing it on our way later anyway."

"I look forward to it. I always wanted to follow da Vinci's tracks; see what he saw, see what he created. The real things, you understand."

"Perfectly," he said sincerely and she knew he did. This tall, strong, handsome, funny man understood and knew her so well and did everything he could to make her happy. She couldn't remember how she had been able to resist him that long and she was endlessly glad that she didn't have to resist any longer.

"What is it?" he asked as he noticed her change of mood.

"Nothing," she shook her head. "I just noticed how lucky I am."

He smiled at her and she remembered the promise she gave herself earlier. "What about you? How are you feeling? What have you done the last few weeks?"

"You know that. We talked almost every day."

"Over comm. Not in person."

"I'm fine, Kathryn."

"What about your work? Any problems with fellow professors?"

"No. Everything's all right."

"Still no Maquis animosities?"

"You're waiting for it?" he asked amused.

"No. It's just… You can tell me."

"I know. And my colleagues know I can call my ex-captain who is now an Admiral and also my…" he stopped, searching for the right word. "…girlfriend?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Sounds like High-School to me."

"It does feel that way sometimes," he blurted out and his eyes widened, shocked, and he was afraid of her response.

"You too, huh?"

"Yes," he exhaled, relieved. "It's crazy, we've known each other for so long…"

"And still… this feels new."

"It does."

"Maybe because this is new."

"You're very smart."

She grinned but sobered quickly. "It'll get better. We just have to give it time."

"You're not only smart, you're very wise."

She sucked in her breath and their eyes locked as both remembered a night on a planet far away; a planet on the other side of the galaxy where their relationship was about to become more the first time. Back then she had resisted, it was too soon after Voyager's departure but now… now they were home and there were no more barriers between them, no more excuses for resisting.

She opened her mouth to say something but suddenly Federico came into their line of vision, unintentionally pulling them back into the present and they jumped apart.

Kathryn breathed hard and began to feel very warm and she needed all the strength she had to pull herself together. She saw that Chakotay had the same problem while Federico seemed oblivious to their struggling as he placed the plates on the table.

"Buon appetito."

"Thank you," Chakotay said, having his bearings back first.

Federico left them to their dinner and a quiet, awkward tension arose.

"So much for feeling like being back at High-School...," Chakotay joked, trying to break the tension and succeeded at least a bit.

"It's ridiculous," Kathryn said, rolling her eyes. "We're both adults and know each other so well. We lived closely for seven years…"

"That was different," he interrupted her. "You know it. And this… this is still new. Let's give it some time and get used to it. It'll get better," he repeated her earlier words.

"You're very wise," she told him, smiling, and he smiled back at her and the awkward tension evaporated.

They returned to their casual conversation while they ate but a certain awareness of each other remained. When the sun set the outdoor lights went on, lighten up the park and arch in a warm glow and shortly thereafter the dinner was gone.

"Uh, I'm full," Kathryn said, leaning back in her chair, putting a hand on her stomach.

"What about dessert?"

"I don't think I can handle any more."

"Not even a coffee?"

That had her attention. "I want a coffee," she decided. "And a bowl of coffee ice-cream."

Chakotay chuckled, shaking his head. "We're in Italy. You're sure you want just plain black coffee and coffee ice-cream?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes. "I think I take the tiramisu," he said and she sat up, greedily. "I guess I'll take a large portion," he sighed and she nodded happily.

She ate the whole bowl of her coffee ice-cream and half of his tiramisu. He had never seen her eating so much and even though he had only a few bites, he was happy just watching her.

When they finally left the restaurant the sky was completely dark and it was so cold that their breaths were visible in the clear air, a sign that it was still winter after all.

Passing the arch, they entered the beautiful illuminated park. "Can you imagine Leonardo da Vinci walking through this park 900 years ago?" Kathryn asked amazed, looking around.

"Not really."

"I wonder how it looked back then and what's still left of it."

"Hard to say. I guess not very much."

"You're probably right."

"Except…," he pointed at the by hundreds of lights illuminated, very impressive castle in front of them.

"Can we go inside?" she asked, excited.

"I'm afraid we don't have time for that," he answered, feeling bad that he had to disappoint her. "The surprise won't wait."

"It's okay," she assured him. As much as she wanted to visit the castle and see relics from the time da Vinci lived here or even works from himself she couldn't be happier right now, walking hand in hand with Chakotay through Milan.

"I'm curious to know what this mysterious surprise of yours is."

"I hope you won't kill me when you find out," he laughed, glad the she wasn't mad.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see," he said mysteriously.

"You're having too much fun with this…," she muttered playfully.

"I guess I am," he laughed and got a nudge in the ribs by her.

They passed the castle and one of its large towers, left the park and came into a modern area of the city. Effortlessly he guided her through small side streets and she doubted she could find her way back alone without asking someone for help.

When they came to a large square, Chakotay stopped. "Here we are."

Confused, she looked around but found no clue of what he was talking about except of a large statue of Leonardo da Vinci in the middle of the square. "You mean him?" she asked, nodding in its direction.

"This guy is omnipotent in this city," he laughed. "No, I don't mean him."

"As much as I like being here, could you just tell me what you mean?" she asked impatiently.

He pointed at one of the historical buildings; a rather nondescript building and she frowned.

"What's that?"

At first he thought she was teasing him but after a moment he became aware that she really didn't know what that was. "That's the Teatro alla Scala. Earth's most famous opera house."

" _Opera_?" Her jaw dropped and he could see the annoyance written all over her face. "Your surprise is going to the _opera_?"

"Yes," he chuckled happily.

"Now I know why you're afraid that I could kill you," she glared at him.

"Oh, come on," he said, laying their joined hands on his chest. "You look stunning. Perfect for a night at the opera house."

"The last opera house I've been to was on the Qomar homeworld," she said with a wary glance at the building.

"I know," he pulled her closer. "I was there with you."

"Yes, that's why you should know I don't like it very much."

"You didn't appear as if you didn't like it…"

"Because the Doctor sang only a couple of well-chosen songs. It wasn't a complete opera."

"To be honest, I don't like opera very much either."

"Then I don't understand what we're doing here."

He smiled conspiratorially. "Come on." He tugged at her hand. "Trust me."

"I do," she said but he could see that she wasn't convinced and even appeared disappointed.

"What did you think I've planned?"

"I thought we'd go dancing," she admitted.

"Dancing?" He was genuinely surprised.

"Yes. I love to dance."

"I didn't know that. We'll go dancing next time. If there's a next time," he added quickly.

She laid her head to the side, considering. "If you're dragging me to the opera… doubtful."

He laughed. "Come on. We don't want to be late."

She grunted and followed him very reluctantly. The prospect of spending two or more hours listening to the very dramatic music of an opera felt like an anticlimax to the, until then, great evening.

Entering the building, she felt like she was pulled back in time. The whole interior looked like it had been preserved for centuries and her initial annoyance lessened with each step she made through the historical opera house. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation and all the people they passed were as dressed up as they were. Most of them smiled at Kathryn and didn't seem surprised to see Voyager's former command team there tonight and she felt as if she was missing something important; as if they knew more than she did. Chakotay, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to their glances.

A Vulcan female showed them the way to their seats in one of the balconies, the last one on the right side, and a noisy murmuring greeted them as they stepped to the railing.

"Impressive," Kathryn said, taking in the sight. "It's larger than I thought."

"It is," he agreed.

"When was it built?" she asked as they sat down in their seats.

"I don't know."

"It was built from 1776 until 1778 after the former theatre was burned down," an elderly man who sat next to them said with an Italian accent and got a slap on his arm by his wife.

"Roberto!" she hissed, obviously embarrassed. "Scusi," she apologized to Kathryn. "My husband left his manners at home."

"No, no," Kathryn came to his help. "That's interesting. Who build it?"

"The architect was Guiseppe Piermarini. La Scala got its name from the church…"

While Roberto told Kathryn the story of the Scala, Chakotay held back a chuckle. The way Roberto talked about this building he obviously loved it more than his wife and by the way his wife looked she obviously knew it. He wondered if Kathryn was suddenly really interested in hearing all this or if she was just being polite. No matter what her reasons were it bought him some time until the opera began.

"Thank you and enjoy the evening," Kathryn said as Roberto's speech ended.

"Grazie," he smiled.

She turned back to Chakotay and Roberto's wife started to scold him angrily in Italian.

Kathryn leaned closer to Chakotay as Roberto stole a glance at her. "The only word I understood was 'Voyager' and by the look on his face she just told him who we are," she whispered.

His face broke into a grin. "We have to live with it. We're famous."

Kathryn couldn't help herself and winked at the bright red Roberto before settling back in her chair. "So, which opera are we seeing?" she asked with only a hint of displeasure.

"Giuseppe Verdi's 'Nabucco'."

She stared at him, blankly.

"It's about the Babylonian King 'Nabucco', a man who is selfish, self-seeking, self-righteous; a man who thinks of himself as a god. He oppresses and subjugates the Jewish people in his land. The opera is about their resistance and…" He stopped because the lights began to fade and the crowd fell silent. "You don't have to understand every word, just take in the spirit," he whispered.

The curtain opened and the opera began. As Nabucco entered the stage Kathryn's jaw dropped to the floor because the Babylonian King was portrayed by no other than Voyager's EMH.

Chakotay grinned from ear to ear. "Surprise."

She turned to him, stunned. "I had no idea."

"That was the plan," he said, his eyes bright with happiness.

She looked at the Doctor down on the stage. "A man who thinks of himself as a god, huh?" she whispered, raising an eyebrow. "I guess that role is made for him."

She felt Chakotay chuckling beside her and concentrated back on the music and actors. While she followed the story he couldn't get his eyes off her, watching her reactions, and enjoyed the feeling of her hand firmly tucked in his. Every now and then, when the music was particularly emotional, she squeezed it tight.

She was deeply engrossed in what she saw, though sometimes she became aware of his stare, looked at him and encouraged him with a nod of her head to follow the story. He was only able to do it for a moment until his eyes were back on her.

At the beginning of the intermission, she breathed deeply. "Wow, they're doing a great job."

"They are. And do you like it?"

"Yes. It helps that one of our friends is participating, though," she said with a smile. "Are any other Voyager crew members here tonight?"

He shook his head. "Not that I know of. We decided to split up so there's always someone else here."

"How come that I don't know about this?"

"It was my idea to not tell you. I wanted to surprise you."

"It was a surprise."

"You have no idea how hard it was to keep it a secret. The Doctor was almost bursting every time he saw you."

"Which was not very often."

"Yes, and I doubt we would've kept it a secret otherwise."

"He seemed exhilarated every time I saw him."

"He was."

"He had every reason to be. This is an honor."

"I think so too. He can be proud."

"Are we meeting him later?"

"We didn't arrange to meet."

"I would like to see him." She thought for a moment. "Is there a backstage entrance?"

"I guess so but I don't know where."

"I have an idea," she grinned devilishly and turned to Roberto who hadn't said a word after his wife had told him who Kathryn and Chakotay were. "Roberto?" she asked cautiously, not wanting to frighten him and he faced her clearly uncomfortably. "Do you know where the backstage entrance is? The door where the actors leave the building?"

"Sí."

"Can you tell me how we get there?"

He nodded, delighted, and soon he had told her how to get there. With a satisfied smile he turned to his wife but she just crossed her arms in front of her chest, huffing.

"I look forward seeing the Doctor's face," Kathryn said to Chakotay.

"He'll be very happy to see you."

"Us," she corrected him.

"He'll be very happy to see _us_."

"Oh yes he will…"

The lights faded again. While Kathryn followed the opera, Chakotay kept watching her and the last two acts passed in a blur for both of them. At the finale, when the Doctor alias Nabucco rescued his daughter and freed the captives, she was deeply moved and he saw her shedding a tear.

Eventually the curtain closed and opened again and all the actors walked back on stage, bowing in front of the now standing audience with the Doctor in their middle. He looked proudly up at his former captain, seeing her wiping her eyes before the curtain closed at last.

"See, it wasn't so bad after all," Chakotay joked.

She laughed, glad that he was there to lighten her mood and touched his arm. "Thank you for taking me here tonight, Chakotay."

"It was my pleasure."

"Did you even see what happened down there?" she asked, nodding down to the stage and raised an eyebrow. "Or were you too busy watching me?"

He looked down on his shoes, grinning. "I like what I saw."

"Hmhm. I hope so."

He looked in her eyes and saw a playful twinkle. Smiling, he linked his arm with hers and she gave Roberto and his wife a final smile before they left the building after making a detour to the cloakroom.

Outside, they walked straight towards a group of journalists and Chakotay stopped short. "We don't have to go there. We can go the other way around."

"No, I want to do this." Without hesitation she walked on. "The Doctor deserves it."

"Okay," he nodded and together they stepped in front of the reporters.

"Admiral Janeway," one of them started immediately. "This must be a special night for you. A hologram on the stage of Earth's most famous opera house and you made that happen…"

"I didn't make that happen. The Doctor did that all by himself and we're very proud of what he'd accomplished."

"But you're the one who helped him become more than just a holographic projection."

"He expanded his program and found hobbies, things he loves to do like singing opera, all by himself."

"She doesn't give herself enough credit," Chakotay chimed in to everyone's surprise and all eyes were on him. "It was one of our crew, Kes, who saw in him more than just a computer program first. She helped us change our minds, but it was our captain who granted him freedom and independency. She listened to him and never let him down, even in hard times and because of her he was, and is, a valuable member of Voyager's crew."

"I guess I can agree to that," Kathryn said. "And I know that wherever Kes may be now, she would be proud."

"What about your relationship?" Another reporter asked. "Is it a public confession that you're here together tonight? You're certainly aware of the rumors."

Chakotay tensed up, not knowing how Kathryn would react to such a personal question but now she was the one who surprised everyone. "I don't think it is much of a secret that the Professor and I are a couple," she said simply. "And if you'll excuse us now, we want to congratulate our Doctor."

Chakotay knew the dismissive tone in her voice all too well and smiled inwardly as no one dared to ask another question.

"Thank you, Admiral, Professor," some journalists said respectfully and she gave them a nod and walked on.

"It was nice what you said about Kes," she told Chakotay on their way to the backstage entrance.

"It's the truth."

"Sometimes I wonder what she's doing…"

"I know."

"You do?"

They arrived at the door and turned to each other. "You think about all of our crew sometimes."

"I do."

"That's perfectly normal."

"Do you think about our crew?"

"Of course," he said with a smug grin on his face, putting his arms around her. "Especially about the captain."

She laid her head to the side and he pulled her closer, leaning into her. Just when he was about to kiss her the door opened and a bunch of happy chatting people came out.

"Chakotay! Captain!" the Doctor's excited voice rang out to them and with a sigh Chakotay let go of Kathryn.

"Doctor!" she said, facing him. "It's good to see you. You made quite an accomplishment tonight."

"Thank you, Captain."

"I thought we were on a first name basis, _Maestro_ ," she told him, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, Kathryn," he said surprised of his own lapse.

"It's okay, Doctor," she chuckled, patting his arm. "We're very proud of you."

"Thank you."

"You did a great job," Chakotay said.

"Not that he saw any of it…," Kathryn replied teasingly.

Chakotay opened his mouth but one of the actresses interrupted him. "Are you coming, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked uncertain at his former command team. "A group of us wanted to celebrate but I don't…"

"Go," Kathryn said. "Have fun."

"Yes, have fun, Doctor," Chakotay agreed.

"Thank you, Kathryn, Chakotay," he said again, giving Kathryn a fierce hug, and was quickly gone.

Kathryn and Chakotay exchanged an amused glance and they meandered across the square towards the illuminated statue of Leonardo da Vinci.

"He has a smaller nose than my hologram," she noticed quietly.

When Chakotay didn't respond she glanced at him and saw that he was uncertain, nervous and suddenly the awareness between them was back.

"So…," she started huskily. "You planned the whole evening. What's coming next?"

"Actually, I have two possible endings for this night."

"Oh?"

He looked down at his hands. "There's a little guest house not far from here where I made a reservation for one room," he said and she got the hint. "Or I can bring you home. The next transporter station is only around the corner." He looked openly at her. "It's your choice. I won't pressure you."

She didn't answer right away and walked instead a few steps. "What's that?" she pointed at another archway.

"I don't know."

She passed it slowly and he followed her lead, noticing that the archway was the entry to some kind of mall with a giant glass roof.

She raised her head and looked amazed at the roof and the various ancient paintings at the walls.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked when she caught him staring at her like he had that afternoon.

"Huh?"

"You have that look again."

"What look?"

"Kind of dreamy, almost enchanted, with a small, sweet smile."

He blushed and avoided her gaze embarrassed. "Oh, it's nothing," he shook his head.

She put her hands on her hips. "Tell me."

"I was just watching you," he admitted.

"And what did I do?"

"The way you looked at the roof reminded me of how you used to raise your face towards the sun. I first saw you doing it on New Earth and you told me a story from your childhood that morning. In the cold Indiana winters you would raise your face towards the sun and if you felt its warmth you knew spring was near and that soon the snow and ice would be melting and the trees and flowers would bloom again."

She swallowed against the lump in her throat. "You remember that silly story?"

"I do. I remember all of your stories," he said seriously.

"Will the sun be shining the next few days?"

"From dawn 'til dusk."

That is exactly what I, _we_ , need, she thought and smiled. Closing the space between them, she let her hands slide over his chest and behind his neck.

"So are we staying or leaving?" he whispered and she felt his breath on her lips.

Closing her eyes, she kissed him passionately, leaving no doubt what her decision would be and letting him know that it wasn't because of the sunlight.

"We're staying."

 _The End_


End file.
